Thoughts on urban street trees?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I think untill we can manage the rootzones the urban habitat is very poor for trees, wouldnt want to expose a living thing to such a stifling opressive environment, like a battery chicken

[rupert w]

I think the way forward is to plan new developments with trees as part of the original planning including the ones that are there already(of course). Surely we need to be putting in foundations with planting plans included. Ok I am a dreamer, but is it really that difficult, architects need to take a step forward in the way they look at things(not all of them). This would also provide lots more work for all of us:thumbup1:.sorry if I drifted away from the thread.

[agg221]

One of the great things about urban trees is when people are prepared to plant something really big. The setting has to be right, but I don't just mean parks and gardens. Wide, town centre streets with high buildings look out of proportion with a few little crab apples and rowans dotted about. The height of limes fits with the proportion of the buildings. I also like Fraxinus ornus as a larger tree, with good autumn colour, Pyrus salicifolia and Ulmus 'Sapporo Autumn Gold' are good at medium size, together with some of less common Carpinus cultivars. I think there is also space to try a few less usual alternatives - particularly over grass where the fruit is less of a problem the true service tree and crab apples such as 'John Downie' or 'Golden Hornet' on M25 stock, to give spring blossom and autumn/winter colour.

 

Alec

Edited August 29, 2014 by agg221

[rupert w]

I think untill we can manage the rootzones the urban habitat is very poor for trees, wouldnt want to expose a living thing to such a stifling opressive environment, like a battery chicken

 

I quite like Bonzais(mutate and survive)

[Gary Prentice]

One of the great things about urban trees is when people are prepared to plant something really big. The setting has to be right, but I don't just mean parks and gardens. Wide, town centre streets with high buildings look out of proportion with a few little crab apples and rowans dotted about. The height of limes fits with the proportion of the buildings. I also like Fraxinus ornus as a larger tree, with good autumn colour, Pyrus salicifolia and Ulmus 'Sapporo Autumn Gold' are good at medium size, together with some of less common Carpinus cultivars. I think there is also space to try a few less usual alternatives - particularly over grass where the fruit is less of a problem the true service tree and crab apples such as 'John Downie' or 'Golden Hornet' on M25 stock, to give spring blossom and autumn/winter colour.

 

Alec

 

Exactly. Large species provide the greatest benefits. The first I-tree survey at Torbay showed a cost benefit analysis for a ornamental cherry compared with an oak, I think, small species are less value for money by miles.

 

But urban tree management has to start in the planning department. Fell ten large trees and justify it by planting 20 amelanchier. It's bull and has to change.

[daltontrees]

common lime a no no other limes not so bad

American and Crimean Limes are increasingly popular up here for their aphid-shunning properties.

[daltontrees]

One of the great things about urban trees is when people are prepared to plant something really big. The setting has to be right, but I don't just mean parks and gardens. Wide, town centre streets with high buildings look out of proportion with a few little crab apples and rowans dotted about. The height of limes fits with the proportion of the buildings. I also like Fraxinus ornus as a larger tree, with good autumn colour, Pyrus salicifolia and Ulmus 'Sapporo Autumn Gold' are good at medium size, together with some of less common Carpinus cultivars. I think there is also space to try a few less usual alternatives - particularly over grass where the fruit is less of a problem the true service tree and crab apples such as 'John Downie' or 'Golden Hornet' on M25 stock, to give spring blossom and autumn/winter colour.

 

Alec

 

Good suggestions. I am all for variety, I love to see field maple, turkish hazel, service, himalayan birch, the odd nothofagus or zelkova. It's all about scale and tolerance of sparse conditions, weighed up against management costs and risk.

[LincolnSteve]

I'm a great advocate of planting a tree suitable for the space but with the demands of modern underground services the space above ground doesn't necessarily reflect the available space below ground. Unless you can persuade utility companies to install conduits to run services through, reduce the necessity to trench a footpath every few years and ensure suitable rooting volume, large tree species are likely to become less popular.

 

From a purely managerial point of view I found our London Planes to be really easy to manage as pollards, only requiring re-pollarding every 5 years and very little in between. Limes on the other hand are a nightmare, constantly requiring epicormic growth removal yearly. Birch and Ginko are great but Japanease Cherry a nightmare for lifting pavements.

 

I have seen Metasequoia and Pines planted in urban / car park situations and find these really interesting alternatives, once lifted about 3/4m they rarely require much further work. Quite why anyone planted Raywood Ash is beyond me, I guess the colour of young trees was attractive but you’re forever sending the gangs out to clear up the mess after any strong winds.

 

I’d quite like to see a few more Coast Redwood’s planted, narrow crowns and impressive in height. They are really underutilised.

[Paul Cleaver]

American and Crimean Limes are increasingly popular up here for their aphid-shunning properties.

 

useful in parking infested roads

[peatff]

There's a street here in town which has a lot of trees and they are directly into the ground with tarmac right up to the trunk and it doesn't seem to do them any harm. A couple have been taken down due to some form of damage and they are pollarded every 3 or 4 years to keep them in check.